JOB DESIGN

JOB DESIGN
JOB DESIGN
Job design is the process of deciding the
contents of a job.

It fixes the duties and responsibilities of the job,

the methods of doing the job and the relationships
between the job holder (manager) and his
superiors, subordinates and colleagues.
Job Design Involves

Checking the work overload.

Checking upon the work under load.

Ensuring tasks are not repetitive in nature.

Ensuring that employees do not remain isolated.

Defining working hours clearly.

Defining the work processes clearly.

APPROACHES TO JOB DESIGN:

HUMAN APPROACH

The human approach of job design laid

emphasis on designing a job around the people or
employees and not around the organizational
processes.
Herzberg Two Factor Theory
Engineering Approach

The engineering approach was devised by FW Taylor.

According to this approach the work or task of

each employee is planned by the management a
day in advance.

The details include things like what, how and when

of the task along with the time deadlines.
JOB DESIGN

Job Design motivates the employees for higher

efficiency, productivity and generates job satisfaction
than the one designed on the basis of traditional
engineering system.
The Job Characteristics Approach

The job characteristics approach was popularized

by Hackman and Oldham.

According to this approach there is a direct

relationship between job satisfaction and rewards.
Skill variety: The employees must be able to
utilize all their skills and develop new skills while
dealing with a job.

Task Identity: The extent to which an identifiable

task or piece or work is required to be done for
completion of the job.
 Task Significance: How important is the job to the
other people, what impact does it create on their lives?
Autonomy: Does the job offer freedom and
independence to the individual performing the same.
Feedback: Is feedback necessary for improving
performance.
 Job Characteristics Model-
Core
Kaylee Personal and
Critical
job psychological work
dimensions states outcomes

Experienced works
Skill variety High internal
Task identity meaningfulness work motivation
Task significance Experienced High-quality
responsibility work performance
Autonomy High satisfaction
for works outcomes
Knowledge of work with the work
Feedback Low absenteeism
activities results and turnover

Employee
growth, need,
strength J.R. Hackman and G.R. Oldham, The Relationship Among Core Job Dimensions, the
Critical Psychological States, and On-the-Job Outcomes, The Job Diagnostic Survey: An
Instrument for the Diagnosis of Jobs and the Evaluation of Job Redesign Projects, 1974.
Reprinted by permission of Greg R. Oldham.
Five Core Job Characteristics-Kaylee

Motivating Potential Score

Skill + Task + Task

variety identity significance
MPS = x [Autonomy] x [Feedback]
3
 Mechanism of Job Design

No of Variety of task of Variety of tasks of

Tasks similar nature different nature

Few tasks of similar Few tasks of different

nature nature

Task complexity
 Job design options

JOB SIMPLIFICATION

JOB ENLARGEMENT

JOB ROTATION

JOB ENRICHMENT
Individual Design Group Design
Options Options
WORK SIMPLIFICATION WORK TEAMS

JOB ROTATION Large task that is completed by

Rotating from job to job a group of specific task
within an organization. Assignments.

JOB ENLARGEMENT
Adding more tasks to the
Job Design AUTONOMOUS WORK
job: Horizontal Loading
GROUPS
Techniques
Work teams are given a goal to
achieve and the control over
JOB ENRICHMENT its accomplishment.
Making jobs more
meaningful and
Challenging: Vertical
Loading
JOB SIMPLIFICATION

jobs are broken down into very small parts where a fragment called

task is repeatedly done over and over again by the same individual.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Employee therefore is paid a worker is likely to get bored and

higher rewards. remain absent frequently.

the productivity is high. Quality and quantity may suffer in

Achieves specialization. the long run due to frustration.

Training cost to the Organization may have to attract

organization is practically workers by offering higher wages

negligible.
JOB ENLARGEMENT

Job Enlargement means where two or more simple tasks are

combined and allotted to an employee

Eg: As in the case of vehicle driver, apart from driving he can undertake the job
of maintenance of the vehicle.

Increases job range, but not depth

Advantage :
more variety in a job
acquiring additional proficiency.
Dissatisfaction of employees can not be avoided after a long period due to
boredom.
 JOB ENRICHMENT
The concept of job enrichment was

developed by Fredrik Herzberg in the

1950s.

Job enrichment involves providing an

employee with more responsibility for a
job and challenges the individuals skills
at work.

Enrichment involves increasing the

decision-making authority and
encouraging the employee with their
tasks.
Job enrichment

Enhanced Greater control

responsibility over resources
properly defined job. autonomy to the employees in
given higher responsibility
decision making.
for the accomplishment of
assigned Workers should be permitted
This would bring to manage their own time.
sense of commitment
Greater freedom in adopting
increased work
performance, methods and procedures
greater satisfaction
a sense of achievement
ADVANTAGES

The importance or merits or advantages of job enrichment are:-

Job enrichment is useful to both the workers and the organization.

The worker gets achievement, recognition and self-actualization.

The worker gets a sense of belonging to the organization.

The worker finds the job meaningful.

Job enrichment reduces absenteeism, labour-turnover and grievances.

It motivates the workers to give best performance.

LIMITATIONS

The shortcomings or demerits or limitations of job enrichment are:-

In many cases, job enrichment does not give the expected results.

It makes many changes in the job. So many workers oppose it.

It has limited use for highly skilled managers and professionals.

The consent of workers is not taken before implementing job enrichment.

Managers force the workers to accept job enrichment, which is not

good.
 JOB ENRICHMENT OPTIONS

Give people the opportunity to use a variety of

Rotate Jobs skills, and perform different kinds of work

Combine work activities to provide a more

Combine Tasks challenging and complex work assignment.

Identify Project- Break your typical functional lines and form

Focused Work Units project-focused units.

Create Autonomous This is job enrichment at the group level.

Work Teams

Implement Participative Allow team members to participate in decision

Management making and get involved in strategic planning.
Job Enrichment v/s Job Enlargement

Job Enrichment Job Enrichment + Job

Enlargement
Focus of
Depth
Routine Job Job Enlargement

No. of Task
JOB ROTATION

Job rotation refers to a

technique where the employee

is periodically rotated from
one job to another within the
work design.
It involves moving employees

among different jobs over a

period of time
 Characteristic of Job Rotation
1) Meaningfulness of work:

Skill variety:

Using an appropriate variety of your skills and talents:

Task Identity:

Being able to identify with the work at hand as more whole and

complete,.

Task Significance:

Being able to identify the task as contributing to something wider, to

society or a group over and beyond the self.

Advantages of Job Rotation

1.Variety of skills:
o improve and increase the skills of the employee due to
organization as well as the individual benefit.
2.Improves earning capacity:
o Due to job enlargement the person learns many new activities.
o such people apply for jobs to other companies and can bargain
for more salary.
3.Wide range of activities:
o Since a single employee handles multiple activities the
company can try and reduce the number of employees.
Disadvantages of Job Rotation

1. Frequent interruption:
o A person who is doing a particular job and get it comfortable
suddenly finds himself shifted to another job or department
this interrupts the work in both the departments

2. Reduces uniformity in quality:

o when a new worker shifted or rotated in the department, he
takes time to learn the new job, makes mistakes in the process
and affects the quality of the job.